It Never Ends
by elsiecarson
Summary: The BAU team is heading back to Washington when they get another case. Everyone is exhausted and Erin Strauss who accompanied the team is not handling anything well. The team has to pull together to solve the case and get home without anymore emotional trauma. Strauss in particular needs help for this one.
1. How Do You Keep Doing This?

Erin Strauss and one of the BAU teams is on the jet on the way back to Washington, D.C. When the plane levels off and the seatbelt sign turns off Erin stand up and walk to the back of the plane towards the bathroom. She locks herself in the bathroom and bursts into tears. She doesn't do well emotionally when she has to be in the field. This case has been particularly difficult for her.

Dave Rossi walks to the bar at the back of the plane and pours himself a drink. This case was tough for him. He's close enough to the bathroom to hear Erin crying inside. He knocks on the door and says, "Erin, are you alright in there?"

Slowly the door to the bathroom opens. Dave sets his drink down and steps into the bathroom with Erin. She looks so unhappy. "How do you keep doing this day after day?"

Dave sighs. The team hasn't slept for three days, but this case was particularly rough. He knows Erin doesn't handle field work well. He reaches out slowly and pulls her into his arms. "It's alright. This case was rough for all of us. We all handle the stress differently. Your mind will clear when you get some sleep. Come on, dry your tears and let's get out of this stuffy bathroom." Dave dries the tears on Erin's face with some of the Kleenex in the bathroom. Dave opens the door and pulls Erin out. Her eyes are red and Dave knows the team will know she's been crying if anyone is still awake.


	2. New Case

Dave picks up his scotch and Erin follows him over to a couple of seats just as the laptop on the table beeps. "Sir, I know this is the last thing you want to hear, but you have another case. The info is on your tablets and the plane will be redirecting momentarily." Penelope's face pops up on the laptop.

"Thanks Garcia. I'll rouse the troops." Dave says tiredly.

"Does this happen often?" Erin asks as she yawns. She can't believe they're heading off to another case.

"More often than we'd like." Dave heaves himself up out of his seat and goes over to where Aaron is asleep. "Hey, Aaron, we got another case."

"Great," Aaron sits up and runs his hands over his face. "I'll wake Reid and Morgan if you deal with J.J. and Blake."

"Well, at least you took the hard two to wake up. Although no one's going to be easy to wake right now." Dave sighs.

Aaron walks over to Morgan and bumps his elbow. "Let's go Morgan."

"Hotch, you better have a damn good reason for waking me up." Morgan grumbles as he slowly wakes up.

"New case." Hotch says seriously.

"Don't they ever give up?" Derek asks tiredly.

"Of course not." Hotch says in an equally tired voice.

"J.J, we got a case. Come one let's get cracking." Dave whispers kneeling next to J.J.

J.J. groans as she hears Dave's voice. "It never ends."

"Derek, you gonna help me wake up Reid?" Hotch asks him.

"Oh, my favourite job. Alright, who's holding his feet down and who's trying wake him?" Derek asks seriously.

"You sit on his feet and I'll try and wake him up." Hotch nods to Derek.

Derek sits firmly on Reid's feet and waits for Hotch to try and wake him. "Be careful." Derek whispers.

"Hey Reid. We caught a case." Hotch gently shakes Reid. Reid immediately starts to flail his long limbs. "Reid! Calm down! Just wake up!" Hotch says seriously.

Reid blinks as he finally wakes up. "Sorry about that." Reid says quietly.

"It's alright, kid. Come one let's see what the case is about." Derek pats Reid's shoulder.

Dave smacks Blake's shoulder lightly and says, "C'mon we've got another case."

"Aw jeez, just when I thought I'd get some time to myself." Blake rubs her eyes and walks over to the team meeting.


	3. Are You Okay?

"Erin, are you sure you're okay?" Hotch asks looking at his boss.

"Of course, I'm just tired, but we all are. Let's get the details of this case from Ms. Garcia." Erin wants the subject dropped.

"Go Garcia." Hotch says as he taps the laptop.

"Okay, so this is creepy icky. Two bodies were found on the side of a road in Wisconsin. When the ME did the autopsy he found that the bodies were missing all of their organs and all of their blood. They'd also been gnawed on and when the ME did a mould of the bite marks he found that the bite marks were made by a human. The ME suggested that the suspect may have been keeping the organs and blood to eat." Penelope taps her pen against her notebook.

"Excuse me," Erin squeezes past Dave and rushes to the bathroom and immediately loses the entire contents of her stomach.

"See, now that response I get." Penelope says honestly. "Her response seems normal."

"I'll go check on her." Dave pours a glass of water. He walks back towards the bathroom. The door is open and Erin is kneeling in front of the toilet. "Hey, I brought you a glass of water."

"Thanks," Erin says lifting her head and turning towards Dave. She takes the glass from Dave and slowly sips the cool liquid. She slides across the floor and leans against the wall.

Dave sinks onto the floor next to Erin and says, "None of us cope well with this. Your reaction just reminds us of how we should react, as human beings, to cases such as this."

"No one else threw up. Why do I react so strongly?" Erin asks sadly.

"You're a compassionate person. You have strong emotions. There's nothing wrong with that. Maybe more people should be like you instead of as callous as we all are. Maybe all of us need to react more like you." Dave says sympathetically.

"This is my job. I can't react like this every time I'm on a case with you. Bad things happen and I can't throw up every time I hear something I can't cope with. I'm not coping with these situations well." Erin sighs. She hates being vulnerable. She feels like she did when she was going through her divorce.

"You're not a field agent. You're not used to dealing with cases like this. You're not expected to react to these situations the same as those of us who see these pictures on a daily basis. It's okay for you to handle things differently than we do." Dave reassures Erin. "Now, shall we go see if they're finished talking about the case?"

Erin nods slowly. She finishes her glass of water, but keeps holding onto the glass. Dave hops up and helps Erin up from the floor. "Thanks for coming to check on me."

"I'm just glad you didn't pass out in here. I've seen people do that before at the beginning of a case." Dave walks out following Erin to make sure she's okay. He grabs her a ginger ale and passes it to her when she sits down.


	4. The Plan

"Alright, here's the plan. We're going to go get briefed at the station and then we're going to go to the hotel and get a few hours sleep. I want everyone except Dave and Erin back three hours after we reach the hotel. Dave I'm putting you in charge of making sure Erin is okay before she comes back on the case. In fact, if it's okay with both of you I'll put you in the same room. No offense ma'am, but he is the one who I trust with you. Take as long as you need." Aaron tells his team.

Erin grumbles about being excluded from the case, but knows she won't be helpful if she doesn't get some sleep. The jet touches down and each team member grabs their bags and heads to the SUVs. Erin gets in the SUV with Dave. "Are you uncomfortable with Aaron's plan?" Erin asks gently.

"No, I'm not uncomfortable with this. Are you uncomfortable, Erin?" Dave asks as he drives towards the police station.

"No, I think I'm too tired to be uncomfortable with the situation. I just want to get some sleep. I hope the briefing won't take long." Erin says tiredly.

Dave yawns. "God, I hope so too. I'm running on fumes right now."


	5. At the Hotel

After the briefing the team heads to the hotel. They check in and are quickly in their rooms. Dave takes the key for his and Erin's room. Erin looks as if she'll be asleep before they get to the room. He opens the door and ushers Erin into the elegant room. "I'll go into the bathroom to change." Dave says to Erin. He takes his bag with him.

Erin quickly changes into her black satin pyjamas. She slips between the sheets and is asleep before Dace comes out of the bathroom.

Dave leans against the doorjamb and watches Erin sleep for a minute. Suddenly she looks so calm and relaxed. Dave gets into the other bed and turns out the light. It's been a long time since he hasn't had to set an alarm clock. He can't believe he will get to wake up on his own.

Dave slowly wakes up to the smell of food in the room. When he opens his eyes Erin is sitting at the table in the room with some breakfast. She's still wearing her pyjamas. Dave groans and climbs out of bed. "Are you sharing?"

"Hey! Good morning to you too! Your breakfast is on the sideboard." Erin says she turns towards Dave. She notices what fabulous legs he has. She sips her coffee as Dave sits down with his breakfast.

"Thanks for ordering me some food." Dave says pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"No problem. It's really a thank you for your help recently. I know you'd rather be with your team than looking after me." Erin says sweetly.

"Listen, you're a part of this team and we look after each other. I know you don't always feel as if you're a part of the team, but you are. I don't mind doing this. I got to sleep in and I get a real meal, not greasy pizza." Dave says seriously.

"Thanks Dave, I appreciate that coming from you. I should have realized earlier how difficult this job is. I'm sorry if I've been harsh on your team unnecessarily." Erin admits to Dave.

Dave shrugs off Erin's concerns. He knows this job is difficult for an outsider to understand. "God, I just feel like I need a hot shower."

"Why don't you go hop in the shower while I get dressed and put my make-up on?" Erin suggests.

"Alright, no barging into the bathroom while the water is on. Anything you want out of there get it now." Dave teases Erin.

"I don't need anything out of the bathroom. You go right ahead." Erin says honestly.

Dave grabs his bag and heads into the bathroom. He checks the scent of the shampoo on the counter before he gets into the shower stall. He finds himself humming in the shower and thinking about Erin who's on the other side of the door changing. He dries himself off quickly since he only told Erin not to come in when the water's running. He pulls his boxers and pants on, but leaves his shirt off so his hair doesn't get his collar wet. He steps out of the bathroom and sees Erin wandering around the room in her skirt and camisole. Dave has to catch his breath. She looks beautiful.

"Well, you look very refreshed." Erin flips her hair around as she puts a pair of earrings on.

"You look nice." Dave says as he dries his hair with a towel from the bathroom. He can feel Erin's eyes rove over his chest. At least someone finds me attractive, Dave thinks.

"Thanks." Erin says as she picks up her make-up bag and walks into the bathroom. She leaves the door open since she's only doing her make-up. She always likes to see the expression on a man's face when they watch a woman putting her make-up on.

"Do you always do your make-up before you put your sweater or blazer on?" Dave asks leaning against the door frame still drying his hair with the towel.

"Yeah, that way if I get something on my camisole I can wear a blazer and if I don't I can wear a sweater. Now, would you go get dressed so we can get going!" Erin puts her hands on Dave's chest and gives him a shove.

"You seem to have quite a fascination with my chest this morning." Dave teases Erin. He pulls a burgundy shirt out of his bag and shakes it out. He always packs shirts that don't require ironing on the road.

"I do not have a fascination with your chest! I just wanted you to get moving so we get back to the case." Erin protests.

"That seems like a very loud protest, Erin." Dave continues to tease her.

"God, sometimes I hate profilers." Erin says heavily. Dave is right, but she doesn't want to tell him that.

"It's okay if I'm right, you know. We're both single. It's nice to know that someone still finds me attractive. You're beautiful, Erin. When are we going to acknowledge the connection between us?" Dave pulls his jack and coat on and grabs his keys.

"I'll acknowledge the connection between us and I will also admit, if you promise not to brag about it, that I find you quite attractive. Don't you dare tell anyone that. What do we do now?" Erin asks cautiously. She hopes that she hasn't just destroyed a close friendship.

Dave smiles and walks slowly towards Erin. He softly kisses her on the lips. "Let's take this one step at a time, shall we? I think you're absolutely lovely, Erin. You and I both are a bit adrift right now. Having each other in our lives might help us. Come on, let's get down to the station.

Erin smiles at Dave. She grabs the key card from the dresser and tucks it into her purse before she follows Dave out of the room.


	6. The Plan Continued

"You look much better." Hotch says as Erin and Dave walk into the station.

"I feel much better. Now, what do we have on this case?" Erin asks as she and Dave sit down with Hotch to get the details.

"Two more bodies have been discovered with the same MO. The others are at the two crime scenes. I was going to go to the ME's. Do you want to come with me?" Aaron asks Dave.

"Sure, I'll come. I think Erin should stay here. It sounds like it will be pretty gruesome. Why don't you go through the case file, Erin?" Dave suggests.

"That sounds like a good idea. I don't think I should go to the ME with you. I don't think I could stomach it." Erin says taking the file from Aaron. "Be careful out there."

"That I can promise." Dave says as he and Aaron walk out of the station.


	7. I Don't Believe You

Dave and Aaron climb into the SUV and as Aaron starts the car he looks at Dave and says, "Okay what is going on with you and Erin?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dave says calmly.

"She's never that nice. Something happened between you and her yesterday. What's going on? Don't forget I know you and I'm a profiler." Aaron asks Dave.

"Alright, but you tell absolutely no one about what I'm about to tell you. She broke down yesterday on the jet and she let me hold her to reassure her. We talked honestly to each other. She was asleep before I came out of the bathroom in the hotel room. When I woke up she was already awake and she'd ordered some breakfast for both of us. I hopped in the shower after breakfast, but you know me I came out of the shower with no shirt on because I always do and I could feel Erin's eyes roam over my chest. I had to catch my breath because she was wandering around the room in her skirt and a very light camisole. We've always had a connection. We've just ignored it until now." Dave concedes defeat and tells Aaron what happened in the last 18 hours.

"Well, I can't say I see the attraction, but if you're happy then I'm behind you all the way. I guess she saw a peek of your legs when you had breakfast in your boxers. You have good legs for a guy." Aaron tells Dave.

"I'm sure that she didn't even notice my legs. Thanks for the compliment." Dave teases Aaron as they arrive at the ME's office.

"If I noticed your legs she certainly would have noticed. She notices everything." Aaron tells Dave.

"Great, so now I'll have to be more aware of what I'm doing. Come on, let's get our minds back on the case." Dave slams his door and walks into the ME's office.

"Hey Dave, wait up. Listen, I'm happy for you. I'm just harassing you because it's fun. I think that this will be great for you." Aaron jogs to catch up with Dave.

"We haven't decided what we're going to do yet. It's difficult when the FBI has a non-fraternization policy. We did admit that we have a close connection. We'll talk after the case is over." Dave flashes his FBI badge as they get to the ME.


	8. Oh Gross!

Dave gets out of the morgue and finds the men's bathroom. He hasn't thrown up after getting the results of a post-mortem recently, but might now.

"Dave, you okay?" Aaron calls through the door of the stall.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's been a long time since I've seen a case this gruesome." Dave comes out and takes the bottle of water Aaron passes him.

"Yeah, I know. I think the cases are getting worse. The methods are getting more and more brutal. Just when I think I've seen everything something like this comes along and reminds me that I'll never see everything and probably don't want to see everything." Aaron leans against the counter next to Dave.

"The level of depravity is just getting higher and higher. I think we'll be getting more and more cases like this unfortunately." Dave says as he and Aaron walk back to the SUV.

"Let's get everyone together at the station and go over the facts of the case again." Aaron suggests as he starts the SUV.

"That sounds like a good plan. I wonder what Erin's gotten up to while we were away." Dave says curiously.

"I'm sure she found something to do, but I wouldn't worry about it. She's very good at liaising with the police. I only hope she hasn't been talking to the media. J.J.'s better at being patient with the press. Erin tends to overshare too early on." Aaron says as the pull back into the police station.


	9. Working the Case

Dave walks into the station and into the conference room to see Erin with files spread across the table. She looks very deep in thought. She has a pen in one hand and a picture in the other. "You look as if you've been very busy since we left." Dave says to Erin.

"I have been, but I'm not sure I've gotten very far with it. It's not making much sense right now." Erin says rubbing her hands over her eyes and sipping a rather old cup of coffee.

Dave leans over Erin's shoulder to look at the work she's already done. "You've done excellent work here. It makes perfect sense to me. You're looking at the three crime scenes and looking for similarities and you have found some similarities. We need a map first, but the scenes do have more similarities than I first thought."

Aaron grabs a local map and passes it to Dave. Dave uses some magnets to put it up on the white board. He takes a pen and uses one colour to mark the crime scenes. "Do we know where they were all taken from?"

Erin has the file and she picks up the other pen colour. She marks the three abduction sites on the map. The three abduction sites and the three crime scenes overlap into a shape well known by all three people in the room. "A pentagram." Erin whispers softly.

"Yes, a pentagram. Now, either a person is staging the scenes in such a shape sp we think it's a cult or we have a cult at work who's purposely using this shape. Cults are rare, but it is a possibility still." Dave says as he joins the dots of the two colours.

"How does it change things if this is a cult?" Erin asks as she sits on the end of the table and surveys the information. She swings her legs as she sits there.

"It doesn't change things a great deal. It just means we have to be even more vigilant then we normally are. It also means we analyze the crimes from a different angle, but we've dealt with cults associated with devil worshipping before. We just need to find out if this was deliberate or incidental to everything." Dave says as he looks at the crime scene photos.

Erin sighs heavily. "It all sounds so complicated. I don't know how you keep it all in your head. What do we do now?"

"We get our teams on the ground to check for signs of a cult and we get Garcia to check the backgrounds of our victims and the background in the town. There may be history." Aaron pulls out his cell and calls the team and then calls Garcia. "What have you got Garcia? You're on speaker."

"I've got nothing, nada, zip, less than nothing. There are like no connections between our victims and I've combed through everything I could find." Garcia sounds frustrated.

"Okay Garcia, don't panic. I need you to check each victim's history with cults in the area. We've got some clues that may link our crimes to a cult." Hotch tells Garcia.

"Okay, eww, icky eww, with all due respect, sir, I did not need to know that. So, am I looking at devil worshipping type cults, sir?" Penelope asks in disgust.

"Yes, you are, Garcia. You've got it in one." Aaron chuckles. He can just imagine the look on Garcia's face.

"Right, I'll go delve into the weird and icky and get back to you. Over and out." Garcia says quickly.

"Well, look at that. It is a pentagram." Derek says as he enters the conference room. "Who discovered that?"

"Erin was looking at the files while we were at the ME's. She put the pieces together. When we got a map and some pens the shape was pretty clear." Rossi tells Morgan. He wants Erin to gain some clout with the team.

"So is this actually a cult or someone who wants us to believe it's a cult?" Blake asks as she looks at the shape on the map.

"We're trying to figure that out. We've got Garcia doing research right now to try and see if there is any cult activity in the area. It's unlikely, but it is possible, so we're keeping our options open at this time." Hotch says to his team.

"Well, the crime scenes are pretty unremarkable except they're also very open. Anyone could have seen the unsub committing the crimes." Reid says as he looks at the photos and tries to piece everything together.

Dave runs his hand through his hair and sighs. "I hate when we have this little information. According to the ME the incisions were not made by someone with a medical background. It's more likely to be a hunting background. If that's the case then they would know which parts are edible. It doesn't make any sense. I can't wrap my mind around it right now."

"Go get a cup of coffee and we'll regroup in 10 minutes. I know that we're all running and caffeine and adrenaline, but we've got to keep going." Aaron sympathizes with his team.


	10. Break and Discussion

Dave goes to the coffee pot and pours himself a cup of coffee. "I'm not usually so bewildered by a case, Aaron. This one is throwing me for a loop."

"Or is your mind not quite focused on the case because of a certain someone?" Aaron teases Dave as he pours himself a cup of coffee.

"Keep your voice down. It's bad enough that you know, let alone anyone else. Erin didn't want anyone to know. She's so sensitive, so you just keep your big mouth shut. Don't you dare jeopardize this for me." Dave hisses at Aaron.

"Alright, alright, I'm kidding. I'm glad you're happy though. Now let's get this case solved and get home." Aaron says carrying his coffee cup into the conference room.

"I'm not even sure I know where I'm going home to anymore. I haven't been home for so long. My publicist wants me to go to some events to celebrate my book. I just want to spend more than two days at home at a time. Now I remember part of the reason I got out. I feel like I don't have a place to call my own because I'm never there." Dave stirs two teaspoons of sugar into his coffee in the conference room.

"That why I like having Jack to come home to. He gives me a place and a person to come home to." Aaron sits down and pulls the file apart to look at a couple of parts. "Where are the autopsy reports?"

"Right here." Reid says pulling a couple of manila folders out from under a large map he's consulting without looking up. He picks up his cell phone and dials Garcia's direct line. "Garcia, can you check for other cases similar to these four in bordering states?"

"I'm on it, boy genius." Garcia says before she hangs up.

"What are you thinking, Reid?" Blake asks as she knows Reid is on to something.

"The MO is too sophisticated at the first crime scene for it to be the 1st time this killer has taken a life this way. The crimes are too neat and tidy. This unsub has done this before." Reid says as he looks at the crime scene photos.

Dave looks at the photos Reid is looking at and says, "That makes sense. The crime scenes are too neat. If this was an unsub's first crime there would be blood everywhere, but there isn't. My guess is that these aren't the primary crime scenes. We need to find the primaries."

"Do we have any sense of where the primary crime scenes may be? Can we be looking at one primary for all four victims or is this unsub too careful to do that?" Aaron asks his team.

"I think he'd have to have a private space to do this where he wouldn't be interrupted. He must live along and the odds are that we have one primary crime scene somewhere remote. That doesn't narrow it down very much around here." Derek analyzes the information on the case.


	11. Profile

"Lieutenant, can you come in for a moment, please? We don't believe we have the primary crime scene for any of our crime scenes yet. We need to do a search for large enough premises to hold a body and refrigerate all the parts and blood that can be taken from four bodies. It needs to be remote. The unsub will be between 25 and 45 with a traumatic past and an elementary knowledge of anatomy possibly though hunting." Aaron tells the local head of the case.

"That doesn't narrow it down very much in rural Wisconsin, but the traumatic past will narrow it down a bit in this small town. I know most families here and their pasts. There aren't very many I'd consider to have traumatic pasts, but there have been some new families to the area that I don't know as well as the families that have been here for years." Lieutenant Bond says to Hotch.

"Get that profile out to the public. Someone will recognize the profile and call in with an I.D. Odds are that the unsub was also equally cruel to animals as a younger man. Someone knows exactly who this is." J.J. says to the lieutenant.

"I'll call a press conference immediately. Do you want to do the press conference?" Lieutenant Bond asks J.J. and the team.

"No, you should be seen to be in charge of the investigation. The unsub has to believe you still have control of the situation. Odds are that the unsub doesn't feel as if a police force this small can solve a crime like this. You have to prove that you can." Aaron tells Lieutenant Bond. "Remind people to be vigilant and not go anywhere alone after dark. This unsub has killed men and women indiscriminately, so no one is safe right now. People always feel safe in small towns, but they shouldn't right now. That's a dangerous mindset to have. Also tell people you're setting up a tip line effective immediately. Someone saw something out there. We just have to get people to talk."

"Jeez, you guys don't waste any time, do ya?" Lieutenant Bond asks.

"The unsub isn't wasting any time so neither can we. We can't let this unsub strike again." Aaron says seriously.

"Right, let's get this press conference organized and up and running." Lieutenant Bond gets his deputy to go and get the press assembled in the lobby.


	12. Garcia to the Rescue

Morgan's cell phone rings and when he checks the caller I.D. he smiles, answers the phone and says, "You're on speaker, mama."

"I found way more cult activity than I should have in a small town like this. There were two devil worshipping cults in the area. The info is on your tablets. Good luck!" Garcia relays the information she gathered.

Dave picks up his tablet and scans the file that Garcia sent. "She's right. There is more cult activity than I would expect is this area of small town Wisconsin. There are more devil centred cults around her than I would have expected. There aren't that many young people in this town. The kids from here are bussed to the next town for school. Did Garcia say how large the area is that she looked at for the cults? I'd be curious to know how far afield she had to go for these stats."

"Didn't she say in the cover page of the e-mail? She usually does." Aaron asks scrolling through the info Garcia sent the team. He puts his phone on speaker and dials Garcia's direct number.

"Speak and be heard by the omnipotence that is me." Garcia's bubbly voice says.

"Garcia, how wide was the radius that you used to gather the info you just sent us?" Rossi asks as he continues to analyze the data.

"It was a 30 mile radius. I didn't have to go far. It surprised me, but then the weird and icky always does surprise me." Garcia tells Rossi.

"Thanks Garcia." Rossi says with a genuine smile on his face.

"Stay safe, my darlings." Garcia pleads with her friends. She worries about them when they're not close.

"We promise Garcia." Rossi says as Aaron reaches out to hit the end button.


	13. She Really Cares

"She really does care about all of you, doesn't she?" Erin asks as she comes into the conference room with yet another cup of coffee.

"Yes, she definitely does. She's always asking to make sure we're all okay. She takes good care of us." Morgan says with a smile.

"We're lucky to have her. She's unconventional, but she's wonderful. She's done a lot to bring this team together and that has been great." J.J. says to Erin.


	14. Short Break

Lieutenant Bond comes back from the press conference quickly. "I said everything you wanted me to say, but you never told me whether I should answer any questions. One of the reporters asked if our officers were still in charge and I answered the question the way you told me to. I told them the Wisconsin police are being assisted by the FBI, but we are still in charge."

"That's perfect. That's exactly what we want you to say. Garcia is tapped into all the phones on the tip line. She'll monitor all the calls. I suggest we all go back to the hotel and get some sleep. Odds are we won't get any credible tips tonight anyway." Aaron says looking at his watch.

"That is the best idea I've heard all day." Morgan says with a yawn.

"At least you slept at the hotel. You were snoring so loud I couldn't sleep." Reid grumbles.

"Oh here we go again. I'm going before I get caught up in another fight. Are you coming Erin?" Dave asks shaking his head at Reid and Morgan.

"Just let me grab my coat and we can go. Are you okay to drive?" Erin asks pulling her coat on.

"I think I'm fine to drive the four blocks to the hotel. Now, let's get out of here before something else comes up and we get stuck here." Dave says teasingly.

"What's going on with the two of them?" Blake asks the team. Everyone, especially Hotch, shrugs as if they don't know. Hotch has to bite his tongue. He'd like to tell his team about Dave and Erin, but won't break his promise.


	15. Back at the Hotel

Erin and Dave are silent on the drive back to the hotel. Dave leans tiredly against the wall of the elevator as it slowly ascends to their floor. Erin stands in front of Dave, facing him, and leans her forehead on his chest and her hands on his sides. "This is mentally exhausting." Erin sighs.

"I can't disagree with that. When we end up on long trips like this I find myself mentally and emotionally exhausted. Do you have the room key?" Dave asks when they stop at the door to the room.

"Oh yeah, here it is." Erin says rummaging in her purse for the key.

Dave uses the key and lets them into the room. "Back again." Dave rubs the back of his neck.

"I'm just going to change and wash my face. I'll be right back." Erin picks up her pyjamas and goes into the bathroom. She vigorously washes her face and sighs when she looks in the mirror.

Dave strips down to his boxers and t-shirt and climbs into bed. Suddenly Dave hears tears coming from the bathroom. He decides to let her cry it out. He knows that sometimes it's necessary to cry in this job. When Erin comes out the bathroom Dave notices her drying her eyes. "Are you okay?" Dave asks gently.

Erin sits down on the side of the bed that Dave is already in. She nods slowly. "I think I'm okay. I've never felt so completely exhausted before. Is it normal to not feel safe anywhere on a case like this?"

"Yeah, it is. Do you want to stay right here next to me?" Dave looks down at Erin and notes her scepticism. "I'm not suggesting anything untoward. I'm far too tired to even suggest it, but I want you to feel safe. Let me make you feel safe."

Erin moves closer to Dave and Dave slowly puts his arms around her. "I do feel safer in your arms." Erin whispers.

"Then get into bed and let's get some sleep. We'll have to be back soon enough." Dave mumbles sleepily.

Erin pulls out of Dave's arms and flips the covers back on her side of the bed and slides into bed. She reaches out and turns out the lights before she settles down into the covers. She feels Dave shift behind her and she feels his arm slip around her waist as he moves in behind her. She sighs contentedly. Dave does make her feel safe. This is the first time since she got divorced that she's slept next to someone. Dave slowly settles as he feels Erin begin to relax. He doesn't want Erin to be nervous with him next to her. He slowly falls asleep knowing that it has been a tough day, but that he feels happier with Erin next to him. Dave and Erin fall asleep in each other's arms feeling safe.


	16. Suspect Found

Dave groans as his cell phone rings 4 hours after they got to the hotel. "This had better be really good." Dave says quietly.

"We have a suspect. Let's go." Aaron says tiredly.

"Alright Hotch, five minutes in the lobby." Dave yawns and hits end on his phone. He gently shakes Erin and says, "Come on, they've identified a suspect. We've got to go."

Erin jumps out of bed and is quickly dressed and ready to go. "Are you ready?" Erin calls through the bathroom door from the bedroom.

"You are so low maintenance. Even Blake and J.J. take more time than that to get ready." Dave finishes buttoning his shirt as he comes out of the bathroom.

"I am determined not hold this team back. I want to be part of the team, so I am going with all of you to help. I want this case solved and I want a suspect in custody." Erin says firmly.

Erin and Dave meet the rest of the team in the lobby of the hotel. "Alright, let's suit up. I'll be in the lead car, so everyone is following me." Aaron says to the assembled group. The entire team goes out to the SUVs and puts bulletproof vests on. "Erin, take a gun with you. Everyone needs to be armed on this one and you go in after Dave. That way we can protect you if something goes wrong."

Erin nods and takes a handgun from Aaron and gets into the SUV. She sighs heavily as Dave speeds away following Aaron. "I hate carrying a gun." Erin says quietly.

"I know. Listen to me very carefully. I want you to stay behind me at all times when we go in there. I don't want you to take any unnecessary risks." Dave says seriously.

"Alright, but you promise me that you won't take an unnecessary risks either. I know you. You do tend to take more risks than you need to. It worries me and it will worry me even more now." Erin says gently.

"I will do my very best. I don't want you to worry about me. I've willingly taken on this job again. It's my decision to take the risks, but I know that you're a part of my life so I have to take that into consideration." Dave is trying to concentrate on the conversation and driving quickly to keep up with Aaron.

Erin breathes a deep sigh of relief. She always wants Dave to be safe. She knows it's an adjustment for him to have to think about someone else before he makes a decision on how safe to be. Because she's not usually with the team on cases she knows he'll be extra safe on this case and less safe on future cases when she's not with the team. She's running on adrenaline right now and when the SUVs stop and the team piles out and storms the building she remembers why she liked being in the field. She feels alive and important.


	17. Discussing the Interrogation

When the suspect is in custody and on his way to the police station the adrenaline drops and the team feels drained, but thrilled. "What do we do now?" Erin asks stupidly.

"We go interrogate the suspect and see if he's who we're looking for. This is the interesting part." Dave says happily.

"I'll let you take lead on this, Dave. You go in and break him. See what comes up in conversation." Aaron says giving Dave a look only the two of them understand.

"Alright, let's go break this guy and go home." Dave says seriously. He grabs the keys from his pocket and gets into the SUV.

"This went really well." Erin says happily as she climbs into the car with Dave. She's more than ready to go home to Washington. This time away from home has felt twice as long as it has actually been.

"Will you watch the interrogation when I'm in charge?" Dave asks as they pull into the parking lot of the police station.

"I will if you want me to. I know it makes some people nervous to know someone's watching them in the interrogation room." Erin says gently.

"I don't get nervous in the interrogation room. You come watch me and give me your opinion on the suspect. You read people well. I'd like your opinion on this case." Dave says seriously. Dave and Erin walk into the police station. "We're going to let him stew in that interrogation room for a bit before I go in and talk to him."


	18. Interrogation Details

The FBI team sit together and wait for a half hour before they decide to start the interrogation. Hotch and Erin go into the room with one way glass and Dave goes into the interrogation room. "He loves this part, doesn't he?" Erin asks Hotch.

"Oh yeah, he does. This is the part that he's so good at. He's a master at getting people to talk. Just watch the master at work." Aaron says as he turns the sound on in the booth.

Erin clasps her hands together in front of her face as she watches Dave at work. He's strong and confident in there and Erin is so proud of him. She watches the unsub carefully. The unsub doesn't seem strong enough or confident enough to be the only unsub. She also notices the unsub's hands are shaking. "Did we ever profile this as having more than one unsub?"

"No, why do you ask? What makes you think there's more than one unsub?" Hotch asks seriously.

"Look at his hands shaking. There's no way he did all that delicate work with those hands. He just doesn't seem to have the confident demeanour needed to pull this off. It doesn't seem to fit with the crimes." Erin says continuing to observe the unsub.

"Dave said you were observant. That's good work. Let's pull Dave out and give him the news. I think you're right." Hotch knocks twice on the glass. He sees Dave rise and immediately goes out into the hallway. Erin follows him out.

"This guy's close to breaking, Hotch. Why did you pull me?" Dave asks seriously.

"Erin noticed something when you were talking to the unsub. You're right, she's very observant. You go ahead, Erin." Hotch says to her.

"This isn't our only unsub. His hands aren't steady enough to have done all the delicate cutting to drain the blood and take all the organs out. We're looking for another person possibly with a hunting or medical background. This isn't the dominant person involved in these crimes." Erin tells Dave.

"That's great work. I'll see if I can get him to give up the name of his partner. If he's the submissive partner he should give it up fairly quickly. Let's get this finished so we can all go home and get a good night's sleep." Dave seems energized as he goes back into the interrogation room.

"He's so determined to get this done. Come on, let's go see how he's doing." Aaron opens the door to the observation room and lets Erin go in ahead of him.

"You know when he first came back to the FBI I wondered why he was coming back, but now I know why. He's excellent at what he does and it's rewarding. The BAU has developed and changed so much from when he was here the first time. It must make him feel so good." Erin leans on the sill looking into the interrogation room. She loves watching him in his element.

"Dave knew there were some cold cases he wanted to try and solve. There are more resources he can use now and I think he feels as if he's finally matured into this job and he's not dealing with any turmoil in his personal life either." Hotch is feeling much calmer around Erin than he usually does.

"He did have a rough time in his personal life, didn't he? I remember that." Erin says sadly.

"I'd say that three divorces counts as rough, though I think his first divorce was more difficult than the other two. The first divorce was the most emotionally difficult for him." Hotch tells her.

"I remember how upset he was when his wife left. He wasn't coping well at work with any of it. The next two marriages were just convenient, but not happy. He was searching for someone who could understand him, but he never found that in anyone." Erin says sadly.

"He may have found that in you." Hotch says teasingly to Erin.

"How did you know? We've only just figured this our ourselves." Erin asks Hotch. She's shocked at what he's just said.

"I'm a profiler, Erin. I could see the change between the two of you when you came back from the hotel. He was happier than I'd seen him in a long time." Hotch tells Erin.

"Well, I hope he's happy, but you better not tell anyone about this." Erin threatens Hotch.

"Yes, I've already heard that threat from Dave thank you very much." Hotch teases Erin.

"He was worried about me last night when he heard me crying in the bathroom. He pulled me into bed with him and held me all night to make me feel better, but don't you dare tell Dave I told you that!" Erin tells Hotch.

"Oh, that Italian romantic sensibility of his! I know this isn't easy for you, so I'm glad you have someone to protect you from all the dastardly things we see. I promise I won't tell Dave a thing." Hotch says honestly.


	19. Suspect Number Two

"I've got the name and location of the second suspect. Let's go! Have you two been talking about me?" Dave asks suspiciously.

Erin looks at Hotch and then back at Dave and says, "No, we definitely weren't talking about you."

"Right, and I know how to speak Russian. Let's go. I don't trust either of you." Dave says sarcastically.

"I already knew that, Dave." Hotch chuckles. He knows Dave hates to be caught off guard with anything. "Let's go get this guy and get a confession out of him. Suit up and let's get going. We all need to get home and get some sleep and see our families."

The team puts their bulletproof vests on again and head out to the location Dave got from their suspect. "We're going to have to go in silent. This unsub is smart and we can't afford to lose him now." Dave says over the radio to Hotch.

"You're right." Hotch jumps on the two way radio that connects them to the local PD and says, "Go in silent. We don't want to spook him as we go in." Most law enforcement officers don't understand this command, but it's better this way. The FBI and local police storm the building and quickly apprehend the suspect.

"That was easier than I thought. Let's get the interrogation done so we can get out of this cold, small town and back to Washington. I just want to go home. I'm tired of being on the road." Dave sighs tiredly.

Erin runs her fingers through her hair and takes her vest off. It's too tight on her at the moment. She did it up too tight when she put it on. She gets into the SUV with Dave. She's so tired and she hopes the interrogation will be short. She can't wait to get home and sleep in her own comfy, big bed. "I'm glad that this part is over."

When they arrive at the police station Hotch says, "I'm taking point on this suspect. Erin can see the master at work."

"Yeah, yeah," Dave says with a smile. "Just get going. I owe Erin a dinner." He goes to the observation room with Erin and Hotch walks into the interrogation room. "He's made for this moment. He was a very good DA. He'll get through to the unsub. He always does." When Dave turns to look at Erin she is intently watching Hotch. "Hey, it's going to be okay. You look so intense." Dave puts his arm around Erin's waist and pulls her towards him.

Erin smiles at Dave and then turns back to the interrogation. Hotch is going hard at the unsub. The unsub is holding firm, but the minute Hotch mentions the partner Erin sees a flicker of fear, worry, and concern cross the unsub's eyes. "There's strong feeling for the partner. He's concerned about his partner. We can play on that. He's worried. I don't think there's a romantic component to it, but Hotch needs to push this." Erin whispers.

"You're right, I noticed it too. How did you figure all that out so quickly?" Dave asks looking down at Erin.

"I watched his eyes when Hotch mentioned the partner. I could see the fear and worry in his eyes. He's nervous about the safety of his partner." Erin whispers. She leans her head back against Dave's chest and tries to relax.

Dave presses the button to communicate with Hotch in the interrogation room. "Hey Hotch, press this guy on the partner. There's an emotional connection between the two." Dave sees Hotch nod to acknowledge the information.

Hotch goes hard at the suspect again and Dave sees the unsub crack and break down. Dave knows that Hotch has got the unsub right where they want him.

"We've got him. This is all over. Hotch has figured this guy out. I'll go tell the team." Dave says happily. He leaves Erin to watch the rest of the interview.

Erin breathes a deep sigh of relief. She's glad that the case didn't end with any more deaths. She straightens herself out before she leaves the room. Hotch is coming out of interrogation room as she leaves the room she's in. "Well done, Agent Hotchner."

"Thank you, ma'am. It will be so good to go home. Jack's got to be missing me." Hotch says honestly. In truth he's missing his son a great deal more than Jack is probably missing him.

"I'm sure Jack's aunt loves spending time with him though." Erin says gently to reassure Aaron.

"I'm sure after two weeks of having him at her house all she wants is for him to go home and to give her some peace and quiet. He's a great kid, but he's super active and rambunctious." Hotch sounds so tired.

"He's a growing boy. Boys are always active and busy. I raised two boys. I know how tiring and rewarding it can be. We'll be back in Washington soon." Erin reminds Hotch.

"I just worry that I'm not spending enough time with him. This job takes me away from him all too often. I worry I'm not doing my best for him." Hotch admits.

"You're doing a wonderful job. All parents have fears like that. You're trying to raise your son on your own, so that can only amplify your fears. I understand where you're coming from." Erin says gently.

"Alright everyone, the two unsubs have both talked, so we're turning the case over to the local police and we're going home." Hotch tells the team. "Meet at the airport in forty-five minutes. We all need to go home. Morgan, call Garcia and tell her. She's been nervous on this case."

The team breathes a deep sigh of relief and they all quickly decamp to the hotel. It's quick to pack up anything they left in the hotel. The drive to the airport is slower than anyone would like.


	20. Time Off

A weary team boards the jet and Dave and Erin sit down together on one of the couch seats. As soon as the plane begins to move most of the team is asleep. Erin leans her head on Dave's shoulder and quickly falls asleep. Dave smiles and leans his head against the back of the couch as he slouches so he can sleep.

When the jet lands Hotch, Morgan, Reid, J.J., and Blake all immediately wake up. Dave and Erin are still asleep when the jet lands. "Aren't you cute, you two?" Morgan says teasingly as he notices the couple.

Erin groans and slowly wakes up, but Dave is immediately alert. "Jeez, you guys couldn't have left us asleep?" Dave grumbles as he stands up and grabs his go bag.

"Aww, we'll have too much fun bugging you now we know about you and Strauss. You know we like to kid each other about our relationships on this team." Morgan says honestly.

"Yeah Rossi, I mean you had to know we were going to find out. We kid each other about our relationships of lack of relationships. We want to know these things." J.J. says when she stops laughing.

"Alright, I don't want to see any of you back at Quantico until Monday. Take some time to relax." Hotch says to his team.


	21. How About Dinner at My Place?

Dave quickly exits the jet before the team can say anything more to him. He's not ready to answer questions. Erin follows him out and catches his elbow at the bottom of the gangway. "Hey, do you want to grab some takeout with me? We can go to my house maybe."

Dave takes a deep breath and says, "Yeah, let's get some food and some sleep. I'll follow you in my car."

Erin smiles at Dave. She digs into her go bag for her car keys. "What do we want for dinner?" Erin asks as she and Dave walk towards their cars.

"Anything that's not pizza is fine." Dave sighs heavily. He hates the food he gets stuck eating on cases.

"Okay, we'll pick a restaurant where we'd like to eat when we get to my house." Erin says gently. "I've got all the menus from almost every corner of the globe."

Dave looks around to check for the rest of the team before he leans forward and kisses Erin.

"Nice Rossi!" Derek whoops from the row of cars next to Rossi's.

"Shut up and go home, Morgan!" Rossi calls back to Derek.

"They never give up do they?" Erin asks as she laughs at Dave's reaction.

"No, they don't give up. They're a persistent bunch, that's for sure." Dave says as he also starts to laugh. He and Erin get into their respective cars and they pull out with Dave following Erin.


	22. Driving Home, Japanese Food

Erin turns the radio on loud in the car so she can stay awake. The drive to her house is quicker than usual. She parks in the driveway and waits for Dave to pull in behind her. She gets out of her car and leans against the side of the car. "I thought you were supposed to be fast." Erin teases Dave as he pulls up and gets out of the car.

"Ha ha, I can drive faster if I'm on a case, but I prefer not to get pulled over. I kept you in sight." Dave shrugs nonchalantly. He kisses Erin's cheek.

Erin holds Dave's hand walks with him towards the house. She unlocks the front door and goes into the house turning the alarm off. "Come on in!" Erin calls from her spot at the alarm pad. She sets her go bag down and waits for Dave.

"This is really nice, Erin. It's huge for one person though." Dave says as he and Erin enter the kitchen.

"This from the man who lives along in a mansion! I like having the space when my kids come to visit." Erin opens a drawer and finds the menus for the delivery restaurants.

"Is this the house you lived in with your ex-husband?" Dave asks as he picks up the menus Erin put on the counter.

"No, I moved after that. This is the house I picked out for me. This is my dream house." Erin says wistfully.

"It's perfect for you. I love it. You deserve to have whatever you want. What do want to have for dinner?" Dave asks as he hugs Erin.

Erin sighs and leans her head on Dave's chest. He makes her feel as if she made the right decision by moving after her divorce. "There's a really good Japanese restaurant nearby and no, before you ask, it's not all raw."

"Find the menu and let's have a look at what we can have, then." Dave sits on a stool in the kitchen and waits for Erin to find the menu.

The Japanese menu is, of course, at the bottom of the stack. Erin shows Dave the menu and lays the menu on the counter as she sits on the stool next to him. "What do you think you would like?" Erin asks looking at the confusion on Dave's face.

"I have no idea. What do you normally get?" Dave asks shaking his head. This is more what Garcia would eat. It's not his typical idea of food.

"I normally get the chicken teriyaki, an assorted tempura, a miso soup, a green salad, and a dynamite roll. If I'm with friends we usually get gyoza as well." Erin tells Dave.

"My God, how much Japanese food can you eat?" Dave asks seriously.

"Oh, Japanese food is light. You can eat lots." Erin says gently. "We can share the tempura."

"Alright, get me a chicken yakisoba, a green salad, a spicy California roll, and order some gyoza. I'll try anything once." Dave tells Erin.

"Good, I'm going to order you a spider roll as well. I'm proud of you for being so adventurous." Erin pats Dave's back. She picks up the cordless phone and orders the Japanese food. "Hi Jin! I know, it's been a long time. Can I get a chicken teriyaki, an assorted tempura, a miso soup, 2 green salads, a dynamite roll, an order of gyoza, a chicken yakisoba, a spicy California roll, and a spider roll?"

"You have company, Erin? That's a lot of food for just one." Jin teases Erin.

"Never you mind. When can I expect this to be delivered?" Erin says firmly. Jin is a gossip at the best of times.

"I'll deliver it myself. It shouldn't be more then 45 minutes." Jin notes the dropping of the friendly tone and adopts a more professional tone with Erin.

"Thank you." Erin says firmly. She hangs up the phone and turns to Dave. "Dinner will be here in 45 minutes."

"Good, I'm famished. What should we do while we're waiting?" Dave asks as he reaches over and brushes a lock of hair off Erin's face.

Erin stands up and perches on Dave's knee. "I don't want to do anything right now. Can we just sit and watch some T.V., anything but news? I just want you to hold me." Erin leans forward and kisses Dave.

"That sounds wonderful. I just need to stay awake long enough to eat. I can hardly stay awake as it is. That kiss helped though." Dave teases Erin. He puts his arms around her waist and rests his forehead against her cheek.

Erin stands up, holding Dave's hand, and walks with him into the living room. She slumps onto the sofa and slips her shoes off. Dave sits down next to her and she curls into his arms. She feels so safe in his arms and he smells so nice when she leans against him. "You make me feel so much safer when you're holding me. I slept so well when you were holding me last night." Erin confesses.

"I slept better last night, with you next to me, than I've slept in a long time. I'm a bit surprised about all this, but I do like that we're taking this opportunity. It's been a long time since I've taken a risk like this romantically." Dave notices Erin's hands roaming over his chest as he speaks. He reaches down and stills her hands for a moment. "That's a dangerous thing to do."

"Don't worry. I'm a big girl. I can handle the consequences." Erin teases as she continues to explore Dave's chest.

"Do we really want to continue this when dinner is arriving in ten minutes?" Dave teases back.

"Alright, maybe not now, but a little later I wouldn't mind pursuing this. I've been alone for so long." Erin kisses Dave firmly.

"Oh, after dinner you are all mine. I so want to pursue this. You are so beautiful and so tempting, Erin. If I didn't know there was someone coming to the house we would be pursuing this right now." Dave leans over kisses Erin passionately. His Italian romantic side as has come out and he wants Erin to feel beautiful.

Erin smiles at Dave as he pulls away from the kiss. He's been so good to her. Dave knows how to make her feel better and make her feel like a woman he can love. She puts her hand on his cheek and runs her thumb over his lips. He's so handsome and he doesn't even realize it most of the time. "Do you know how attractive you are?" Erin whispers. She can feel the beard burn around her lips from the kiss.

Dave shakes his head at Erin. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, I do. You're sitting there in your designer jeans with your button down shirt unbuttoned at the top and your blazer. You are so handsome, Dave." Erin runs her fingers through Dave's pepper and salt hair. She hasn't been this attracted to someone for a long time. "You dress so well." Erin smoothes Dave's lapels and Dave notices her dark purple nail polish for the first time.

"Thank you for the compliment. I love your purple nails by the way. I didn't notice them until now." Dave picks up Erin's hand and looks closely at her purple nails.

"They're my way of having a little bit of independence even in the FBI. My nails are always a different colour." Erin tells Dave.

Dave runs his fingers through Erin's blonde hair. He loves being able to do this and not have anybody judge him. He knows the team is going to tease him when he goes back to work, but right now he doesn't care at all. Erin leans into Dave's touch and relaxes.


	23. Dinner at Home

The peace and relaxation is broken by the doorbell ringing. Dave doesn't want to move, but he also doesn't want Erin to pay for dinner, he's old fashioned that way, so he gets up and says, "I'll go. You get plates."

Erin smiles at Dave and she goes into the kitchen and she finds her flat Japanese plates. "Dave, did we get chopsticks in our order or do I need to bring in my own?"

Dave quickly checks the bag and says, "We have chopsticks. Come and eat. I'm hungry and tired. All I want to do is eat and get a good night's sleep."

Erin comes in with plates. "It smells so good." Erin passes Dave a plate and kneels next to the coffee table. She begins to open the boxes and places Dave's hot food on his plate and puts his cold food next to his plate.

Dave kneels on the other side of the coffee table and watches Erin unwrap her chopsticks and rest them on the side of her plate. She opens her container with miso soup in it. She stirs it with her chopsticks before she begins to sip the hot liquid. She notices Dave looking warily at his chopsticks. "I don't know how to use these." Dave admits quietly.

Erin crawls around the coffee table and kneels just behind him. She snaps his chopsticks apart and rubs them together to get rid of the splinters. "I'll show you how to use them. They're easy once you get the hang of them." Erin reaches out and positions Dave's fingers on the chopsticks. "Now, bring the chopsticks together when you want to eat something and loosen your fingers to release them." Erin kisses Dave's cheek and then moves back in front of her plate.

"Thanks," Dave mumbles. He hates to admit that he doesn't know how to do things.

"It's alright. Chopsticks are something you have to use often or you forget." Erin finishes her soup and sets the container aside.

"How do you deal with the rice with chopsticks? It seems like a difficult thing to do." Dave says seriously.

"Well, the good thing about sushi rice is that it's sticky, so that makes it easier." Erin opens the container for her green salad. She can feel Dave's eyes on her as she begins to eat her salad.

Dave opens the containers for his two rolls. "So, which one is which?"

Erin looks over the top of the lids and says, "The one with the rice on the outside is the spicy California roll and the one with the seaweed on the outside is the spider roll."

Dave carefully wields his chopsticks. He doesn't want to be a fool in front of Erin. He gently lifts a piece of his spicy California roll trying not to make the roll fall apart. He manages to get the roll to his mouth without dropping it. He know enough about sushi to know not to try to bite the roll in half so he puts it into his mouth in one piece. He slowly chews and doesn't notice the spicy kick so much until after he swallows.

"Are you enjoying that?" Erin asks Dave, smiling at his reaction.

"It's really good. The spice doesn't kick in until after." Dave says honestly.

"I'm going to put some decaf green tea on. Do you want some?" Erin sits up higher on her knees preparing to get up and go into the kitchen.

"Yeah, green tea would great. Can I help you? Is there anything I can do?" Dave asks.

"You can get the teapot down from the upper cupboard for me." Erin requests of Dave.

Dave follows Erin into the kitchen. It will be so nice to not have to wash any dishes after dinner. He and Erin are so tired he's surprised they're still standing. "Where's the teapot?" Dave asks as he watches Erin open the pantry and find the green tea before she puts waiter on to boil.

"The teapot is in the cupboard above the microwave. I don't use it very often since normally I just have to make tea for me." Erin explains to Dave. Somehow she felt the need to tell him that.

Dave reaches up and takes the teapot down from the cupboard. He passes it to Erin and watches her scoop two scoops of tea leaves into the teapot and pours the boiling water over the leaves.

"Can you bring the plates of warm food in and I'll reheat them?" Erin requests. She gets the tea strainer out of a drawer and two cups without handles.

Dave comes back into the kitchen carrying the two plates. "Here. Should I pop these in the microwave while you deal with the tea?"

"Yes, please." Erin smiles. It's such a domestic scene and so rare for the two of them in their line of work.

Dave pulls the warm plates out of the microwave and walks back into the living room with the plates. Erin follows Dave into the room carrying a tray with the green tea on it. "Is this the spider roll?" Dave asks poking the roll he hasn't tried yet.

Erin looks at what Dave has poked and says, "Yes, that is the spider roll. Go on try it and I'll pour you some green tea." Erin sets the tea strainer on top of one of the cups and pours Dave a green tea. "There. Try that. It's a light flavour. See what you think."

Dave takes the cup from Erin and sips the hot liquid. He's not usually a big fan of green tea, but this is a different flavour profile. "It's nice. It's a delicate flavour." He notices how elegantly and easily Erin wields her chopsticks.

Erin and Dave finish their Japanese meal and Erin curls into her spot on the couch and waits for Dave to join her. Dave stands up slowly. He feels old and creaky as he stands up and sits next to Erin. Erin feels so comfortable with Dave now. Dave puts his arm around Erin's shoulders and pulls her closer to him. He sighs happily and leans his head against the back of sofa. "This is so nice. I can't believe we have all this time together. Do you ever use the fireplace?" Dave asks as Erin cuddles against him.

"Sometimes, I haven't recently because it's so much work. There's some firewood, but it takes so much time." Erin admits. The wood burning fireplace was one of the reasons Erin bought the house and now she rarely gets to use it.

"Well, tomorrow I'm going to light the fire and I will even cook dinner for you." Dave promises Erin.

"So, you're planning to stay, then?" Erin asks. She's still insecure about this relationship.

"Yes, I'm planning to stay. I want to get to know you a little better and let this relationship blossom a little. I want to make you feel special." Dave says as he leans over and kisses Erin's cheek.

"You are making me feel special already. You underestimate yourself more than I thought you would." Erin strokes Dave's cheek softly.

"I'm a bit out of practice to be honest so I'm more nervous than I usually am in a new relationship. I'm not trying to underestimate myself or you. Please, don't be insecure about yourself. It's really not you." Dave tells Erin.

Erin strokes Dave's arm slowly to reassure him. She doesn't want to make him feel nervous. "We're both a little out of practice. That means we get to learn about our new relationship together and learn about each other at the same time. We'll be okay."

"You're very certain of all this, Erin. It's nice to know we're both out of practice. I'd hate to be the one dragging down this relationship." Dave admits to Erin.

"You won't drag this relationship down. You've been very romantic and you have been nothing but sweet and honest. If you keep this up we'll be fine." Erin reassures Dave and runs her hands over Dave's chest. Dave's deep purple shirt looks so good on him. Dave yawns loudly. Erin looks up at Dave and says, "Shall we head up to bed? We could both use a good night's sleep."

"That is the best idea I've heard in ages. I can't believe I fell asleep on the jet. I hardly ever do that." Dave stands up and goes to pick up his go bag by the front door.


	24. I'm So Tired

Erin stands up and walks to the bottom of the stairs. She waits for Dave at the bottom of the stairs since he doesn't know where he's going. "Come on, let's go to bed." Erin reaches for Dave's empty hand and walks upstairs with him.

Dave loves this moment. He's thrilled that he and Erin are getting this opportunity. He follows Erin down the hall. He loves watching her walk in front of him.

Erin stops in front of a set of double doors that Dave assumes lead to her bedroom. Erin opens one of the doors and draws Dave into the room with her. Dave doesn't want Erin to be nervous and it's quite clear she isn't.

"Erin, this is huge! It's a wonderful room." Dave says looking around the grand room.

"I think it was meant to be a library, but when I saw the natural light I knew I had to turn it into my bedroom. I didn't have to take many of the shelves out. I only needed enough room for the bed and some space for a headboard. I quite like being able to have all of my books in here so I can get at them when I want to." Erin tells Dave. She sits down on the bench at the end of the bed.

Dave sits down next to Erin and holds her hand. He pulls her closer and kisses her passionately. "Why don't you go get changed and meet me back here and we can go to bed?" Dave suggests.

"Alright, do you want me to wear lingerie or my regular pyjamas?" Erin asks cheekily.

"It doesn't matter, whatever you're most comfortable in." Dave says tiredly.

Erin smiles as she walks into her closet. We'll soon see about that reaction, Erin thinks. She finds a rich purple chemise. She takes all of her day clothes off and pulls the chemise down over her head. The hem of her chemise falls softly around her knees. She feels beautiful. She smoothes her hair and steps back into the bedroom. Dave is sitting on the bench in his boxers and Erin wonders why. He almost looks dead on his feet. Erin gently pulls Dave to his feet and pulls him over to the bed. She pushes him gently down to sit on the bed. Erin straddles Dave's lap and kisses him passionately. Dave lies back on the bed and Erin follows his motions. Erin runs her hands over Dave's bare chest. He's very sculpted for a man his age.

"Erin stop. Wait a minute." Dave says breathing heavily. "I'm too tired to do this tonight. I'd love to, but maybe we can consider it tomorrow." Dave would normally never turn down a sexy woman, but he just can't even begin to think about this right now running on no sleep.

Erin stills her hands. When she looks down at Dave's face she can see how exhausted he is. "Alright, we'll wait. You need to sleep and so do I."

"You look beautiful, Erin. Don't get me wrong I'd love to do this, but I just don't have the stamina. You are so sexy. Please believe me." Dave pleads with Erin.

"You haven't bruised me ego, Dave, really. Let's get some sleep." Erin flips the covers back and slides into bed on the side she normally sleeps on.

Dave gets into bed on the other side of the bed and moves closer to Erin. He puts his arm around her waist and pulls her against him. "You can feel how much I want to, but it wouldn't be special with the way I'm feeling. I want you to feel beautiful and special and loved." Dave sounds exhausted.

Erin rolls over to face him. She kisses him softly and says, "It's alright, really. You don't have to be upset about this. It will happen when the time is right." She leans her head on Dave's chest and he wraps his arms around her waist. "Can you turn out the light?" Erin asks Dave. He's closer to the light switch than she is.

"Sure," Dave reaches up and flicks the switch. The room is plunged into darkness. Dave brings his arm down around Erin again before he rolls onto his back. Erin curls closer to Dave. He's warm and she's not.

"Thank you, Dave." Erin whispers in the dark. Her head is resting against his bare chest.

"What are you thanking me for?" Dave asks. The confusion is evident in his voice.

"You have been so supportive of me the last few days. You listened to my fears. Not very many people would have done that. You made me feel safe." Erin says honestly.

"I couldn't stand to see you that way. You're always so strong and to see you break down the way you did was difficult for me. I never wanted to see you that distraught. You don't deserve to be dealing with this. This wasn't what you signed up for." Dave squeezes Erin tightly.

Erin smiles against Dave's chest. He's more romantic than she ever supposed he was. Erin slowly falls asleep feeling extremely happy to have a man's arms around her again. It's been too long since she's felt this way about someone else.

Dave waits for Erin to fall asleep before he even attempts to fall asleep. He wants to know Erin is safely asleep and protected. Erin seems so petite and fragile in his arms. He never thought of her that way before. Her body feels so warm under his hands. He loves that sensation under his hands and the way it makes him feel about her. He hopes the light won't be so bright in the morning as to wake he and Erin up. He is so relaxed being able to hold Erin.


End file.
